The Goblin King
by Saons
Summary: Jareth the Goblin King is in love with a girl from the human world. When finally a day comes that he can lure her into the Underground, he offers her a deal. Solve the Labyrinth, or lose her brother forever. Labyrinth as seen through Jareth's POV.
1. It's Not Fair

A/N: This is my first fanfiction. There are probably similarities between my story and another's, as the idea is not a particularly unique one. As such, I would like to say that any similarities are purely coincidental and this work is in entirety my own. I would also greatly appreciate any constructive criticism. Thank you for reading!

_ It's Not Fair_

The place between the human world and the Underground is dark. Ever since Jareth first travelled across the barrier it'd been that way: dark, miasmic, and cold. He hated crossing it. What little emotions he felt in the Underground, he felt even less in that empty place—but it was worth it, since he'd be able to see _her._

Jareth's wings flapped silently beside him; no sounds could be heard but his own heart and the slight rustling of his feathers. His mind wandered through the gloom, and he hummed a tune in his head to pass the time. It was hard to determine just how long the trip took. But soon enough there was a light – the light of the human world, so bright compared to his own – in the distance that interrupted his song. His heart raced with anticipation. All he had to do was reach it, and he'd be there. He accelerated his flight, and within moments felt the brush of cool summer air on his body and the dampness on his feathers.

The first thing he saw was her. She stood on the wet grass only a few feet away, in the same place she always played, as if they were keeping a promise they made to meet. This was her favourite park, after all. She went here every Sunday, and it was here that he first laid eyes upon her. He perched himself comfortably at a short distance from where she played.

_Oh Sarah, _s_till a child._ Jareth thought, chuckling to himself as he took notice of her attire. She was dressed in a long gown over a pair of blue jeans, and her hair was tied up and adorned with white flowers made of plastic and cheap fabric. She was playing a role in one of her stories, he couldn't remember which one.

_I could give her a real dress._ He mused. _One befitting a Goblin Queen._

As his thoughts had him elsewhere, the nearness of Sarah's voice brought him out of his reverie.

"Give me the child." she said, inching closer. "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City, to take back the child you have stolen. For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom is as great—"

A rumble of thunder overhead broke her concentration. Jareth's heart beat wildly from the interaction. She didn't know who he was, she had no clue – but she was hardly ever so close to him. He wanted to reach out and grab her, right then, to claim her as his own and keep her away in the Underground. His heart would not calm. The strength in her voice and the will he knew she possessed is what first stole his heart, he remembered, as he watched her attempt to outrun the rainfall. Jareth sighed to himself, and ruffled his white feathers.

_ She is still stubborn and immature._ Jareth thought._ But one day I will have her._

He took flight into the air and disappeared like dying smoke into the grey-white clouds.

* * *

><p>Not far from Sarah's home stood a clock tower, and in that clock tower Jareth's shadowed figure hunched over a small silver ball. He had turned back into his human image, slender and graceful and long-limbed; the use of a barn owl's body was of little use but flight. His long blond hair fell in sharp layers and fell about his face as he bent over. His cloak was dark and ragged, which perfectly camouflaged him in the night. The rain poured heavier and the thunder boomed louder since he had come into this world. There was always an upset in the balance of things when he arrived. Weather change, falling stars, and abnormal animal behaviour all were common. No one really took notice, though.<p>

He took a gloved hand and lifted up his glass orb. He observed that Sarah was home now, sopping wet from the rain she couldn't avoid. She fought with her step mother again, too. He smiled at her childish anger, so pathetic and easily roused. He eyed the toys in her room, some of them seeming to stand out amongst the rest. A woman in a white gown did a pirouette to a melody – that one he'd given her. She wouldn't have remembered, of course, especially since he had left it anonymously. He'd crafted it from images he'd seen in her dreams.

At her desk he noticed she whispered her lines to herself, and Jareth shut his eyes and listened. It would calm her to lose her mind in her fantasies. One day he knew he would show her his world, and she wouldn't have to dream any longer. He reopened his eyes as she fought once more with her parents. When it was over, she fell onto her bed and quickly noticed one of her toys was missing.

The baby was crying now, Jareth saw through the orb. He stood in his crib wailing, and he could feel Sarah's rage intensifying as she barged into the room.

"I hate you! I hate _you_!" she cried, grabbing her doll from the floor.

Jareth watched closely. The fire in her eyes was becoming, and like a moth to a candle, he could not pull himself from the attraction of the flame.

"Oh, _save me_! Someone take me _away_ from this awful place!" she grieved.

The baby cried louder, but it did not drown out the thoughts running through Jareth's head._ Is this it? Will she say it? _He thought, his hopes high. _Would she know the words? _

Sarah continued to speak to the baby in a fierce tone. "And the baby was a spoiled child," she said darkly. "And he wanted everything for himself, and the young girl was practically a slave. But what no one knew was that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers. So one night, when the baby had been particularly cruel to her, she called on the goblins for help."

Jareth heard the voices of his goblin henchmen prattle hushed desires in his head. His own heartbeat, going wild, nearly drowned them out.

"Listen," their scratchy voices murmured. "Listen, listen."

"'Say the right words,' the goblins said." Sarah went on, deaf to the menacing voices of Jareth's servants. "And we'll take the baby to the Goblin City, and you will be free. But the girl knew that the king of the goblins would keep the baby in his castle for ever and ever and ever... and turn it into a goblin. And so the girl suffered in silence, until one night, when she was tired from a day of housework, and she was hurt by the harsh words of her stepmother, and she could no longer stand it..."

The baby's howling grew louder and harsher. Sarah picked up the baby and in exasperation spoke to it with grating words. The discontent of Jareth's henchmen grew louder, and he too felt his heart sink. He had waited for the day he could ensnare her in a trap, luring her to the Underground with false pretences.

It seemed she would never say the right words, and she left to exit the room – until something extraordinary happened: she spoke them, as if destiny were Jareth's ally.

"I wish the goblins _would_ come and take you away... _right now_."

_Now!_

Everything was in place, and everything happened as it should. In an instant Jareth's henchmen were quietly in hiding at every corner of the room; and Jareth himself took off from the clock tower in a dazzling transformation from human to owl.

The rain had let up, but the thunder and lightning hadn't. What an entrance he'd make.


	2. I Want My Brother Back

_ I Want My Brother Back_

Fear was Jareth's favourite emotion. It suited Sarah the best, anyway. When she was frightened she was more curious than anything; curious so that she could question and wonder and evaluate, so that she would not be afraid any longer. Fear made her stronger, too. He knew she would never back down because she was afraid. He wanted to control her with her fear, but he could never find a fear strong enough to rule her. Thus it became so tempting to attempt to frighten her that without really realizing it he had battered the window with his claws and wings and burst his way into the room. She stood there in the darkness, aghast by everything that was happening. To add to the terror he flew in as if he were going in for an attack, straight for her head. She flew her arms up for protection.

Then, by calling forth the powers within him, he lifted his arms up and transformed his image to one more like hers. The wind and the the thunder broadcasted his arrival, and he stood with a smug smile on his face as she watched in amazement. He stood before her in full glory, dressed in lavish—though dark—garments, appropriate enough for a Goblin King. He waited for her to put the pieces together.

"You're him, aren't you? You're the Goblin King!" she said cautiously.

Jareth gave her a smug smile.

"I want my brother back, please, if it's all the same."

"What's said is said." Jareth replied calmly.

"But – I didn't mean it!"

"Oh, you didn't?"

"Please, where is he?"

"You know very well where he is," Jareth thought about the Underground, and how she would soon be there, with him.

"Please bring him back, please!" she pleaded.

Jareth felt a slight pain to his chest, but ignored it. "Sarah," The sound of his own voice uttering her name made him pause, though he did not stop speaking. It was the first time her name had ever been spoken with his own tongue. He revelled in the taste of it. "Go back to your room. Play with your toys and your costumes. Forget about the baby."

He knew she wouldn't take that for an answer. "I can't," she replied, just as he imagined.

"I've brought you a gift," he said calmly, lifting his hand and bringing forth one of his crystal balls.

"What is it?" she said.

Content knowing he'd picked up on her interest, he juggled the orb with his hands. "It's a crystal. Nothing more. But if you turn it this way, and look into it, it'll show you your dreams. But this is not a gift for an ordinary girl that takes care of a screaming baby."

He watched her face carefully. "Do you want it?"

He saw the twinkle in her eyes; the spark of curiosity. She eyed the orb, wondering if he were telling the truth.

"Then forget the baby."

_Take it._ He thought, knowing the likeliness of her rejection. If she took the orb now, it would be easier for both of them. She would be his, then and forever—and without the hassle of having to trick her into solving his Labyrinth.

"I can't," she sighed, giving up her life's fortune. "It's not that I don't appreciate what you're trying to do for me, but I want my brother back. He must be so scared—"

"Sarah!" he said sternly, interrupting her. He'd planned for this, but could barely contain the vexation he felt at her denial. He lifted his hand and turned the orb into a snake, coiled around his long fingers. She watched with wary awe. Jareth felt a burning in his chest and the urge to torment her. That perfect face, those red lips – he wanted to scare her even more.

"Don't defy me." He warned with a strict voice, just before throwing the snake at her.

Sarah screamed and waved her arms to catch the creature and block her face, but the snake was no more than a simple scarf. He knew he could never really harm her.

She turned back to face him, defiance in her expression.

"You're no match for me, Sarah." he challenged.

"But I have to have my brother back!" she pleaded, unrelenting.

_ I imagined this might happen. Sarah, I knew you would not give up your brother. _Jareth curled himself towards her and then pointed through her window.

"He's there. In my castle."

_ I cannot bring her there, she must go willingly. And willingly she will go, if she wants to rescue her brother, that is._ Jareth thought.

And there it was, the Labyrinth and the Goblin City far out on the desolate horizon. Just as he had left it.

"Do you still want to look for him?" Jareth asked her.

Within seconds they were in the Underground entirely, as she had willingly decided to see it and enter it. They stood together on a small hill, not too far from the entrance of the Labyrinth. Jareth watched Sarah from behind. The desert winds whipped wickedly past, stringing dust and debris everywhere. Her hair flew with it, and he wanted to hold it tight between his fingers.

"Is that... the castle beyond the Goblin City?"

"Turn back, Sarah!" Jareth called through the wind, knowing she would not. "Turn back before it's too late."

"I can't. Don't you understand that I can't?"

"What a pity." Jareth chuckled.

"It doesn't look that far."

"It's farther than you think." He said soothingly, menacingly, as he moved in towards her ear. She flinched at his presence so near to hers, and he felt pleasure at her fear. He knew every inch of his Labyrinth, and he knew when time ran out she would be his. These walls would catch her for him, and all he had to do was wait. "Time is short." he warned.

_It's only forever._ Jareth thought, circling around the girl. _It's not that long at all._

Jareth summoned a clock, and pointed towards its hands. "You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth before your baby brother becomes one of us... _forever_." he disappeared into the wind as he spoke. _"_Such a pity."

* * *

><p>Back in his castle, towering high over the Goblin City, Jareth sat on the ledge of his throne room window. Toby sat on his bent leg, precariously perched. He bounced him on his knee and spoke to him, his crystal orb in Toby's small hands.<p>

"There's your sister, Toby, do you see her? You're going to help me catch her, did you know that?"

The child giggled and hit the orb with his hands. Through the silvery pane of the glass he could see Sarah, just meeting Horble or Diddle, whatever the little dwarf's name was, for the first time.

_Excellent._ He thought. _He should follow my orders just nicely, I think. _Jareth recalled the day he pulled the gatekeeper aside, telling him about the day his Queen would one day reach the gates of his Labyrinth.

"If one day a girl named Sarah arrives, as the gatekeeper, you'll let her in," Jareth told him, Hoddle shuddering in place. "But you will not help her, is that clear? She is to get lost in my Labyrinth."

"Y-Yes, your Majesty." the dwarf replied.

"If she makes it far in, Hodwin, I want you to befriend her and lead her astray. Take her back to the Labyrinth's entrance."

"Why?" it asked.

"You ask me why? Why? Tra-la-la!" Jareth's voice scratched with his anger. "You do not ask me why, you only have to do what I say. If you do well, I will reward you with all the riches you could ever want."

The light of imagination sparkled in the deep-set eyes of the wrinkled old dwarf.

"Riches, Jareth?"

"But if you don't," Jareth grinned threateningly, "I will throw you into the Bog of Eternal Stench."

Dwarves have particularly good sense of smell, since their eyesight is not so strong. The thought of being trapped forever in such a foul-smelling place frightened the dwarf more than anything. It agreed without any hesitation.

Jareth recalled the the stupid creature with disgust. How was it that he, the Grand Magician of the High Court, was now the ruler of such a place? These pathetic vermin would never know the greater emotions that he felt, the significance of his being. He looked around to his throne room, his goblin minions sitting in various corners. Many were playing gambling games, others drinking out of poorly crafted cups. They were loyal to him, he had to admit at least that. But in watching them Jareth was reminded about people he used to be surrounded by, the pompous fools of the High Court and the Kingdom of Esitrea. For a moment he felt nostalgic; he missed the perpetually balmy weather, the ashen beauty of the peoples there, and even the golden walls of the High Court itself.

He was quickly stolen from his memories by the wailing of the baby in his lap.

"Oh Toby, do be quiet. What if Sarah heard you from out there in the Labyrinth? She might just find her way here."

Jareth peered into his orb and saw Sarah talking with a small blue worm.

_It's helping her. _Jareth observed. _But what could a worm know? _

Then Sarah arose, an epiphany in her eyes.

_Don't turn left. _Jareth's heart stopped, slowly realizing what the worm had told her. Sarah only took a moment to consider and then chose – left.

_No. Not left! Not to the castle!_

As if he were working his magic on her, she stopped and turned according to his whim. _The worm! _He thought. _He's telling her to go right!_

Jareth laughed openly, watching Sarah make her way down the path. But as he watched her he realized with reluctant acceptance at just how close he was to losing her. A growing fear made its way into consciousness. _What if she _did_ solve the Labyrinth? _He questioned, only to immediately correct himself. _No one can pass the Labyrinth but me. I created it, after all. _

The baby would not hush, and the goblins in his keep began to gabble their annoyances. Jareth picked Toby up and placed him next to a couple of horned goblins.

"You, take care of it." He said fiercely. The pests nodded.

Jareth sat in his throne, lifting one long slender leg up over the arm rest. He steepled his fingers below his chin, absentmindedly patting his staff on his leg.

_What to do?_ He thought. _How can I prolong this?_

He looked up to the clock.

_ There's still so much time. I'll have to do something._

Toby continued to bawl, and Jareth sighed. He might as well cheer the little thing up, and it would make him forget about Sarah for a moment.

_ I'll sing him a song. _Jareth thought, feeling the urge to dance already surfacing.

But he was wrong, though—the song only made him think of her more.


	3. A Piece of Cake

_A Piece of Cake_

Sarah was not afraid, and it was fearfully obvious to Jareth as he found himself watching her once more through his silver bauble. His song had ended and there was nothing to cheer him up anymore, and so he was back to his same routine. He held the orb delicately with his fingers, as delicately as if he were holding Sarah's own face. She was at the Four Guards now, the four brainless brothers cackling on about nothing.

"Well, the only way out of here is to try one of these doors!" The second Red brother said to Sarah.

"One of them leads to the castle at the centre of the Labyrinth, and the other one leads to—Buh-Buh-Buh-Boom!—_certain death_!" The second Blue brother finished.

"Ooooooh!" they all moaned.

Jareth smiled, as he knew they were lying. There was nothing but despair on either route, even if she did figure out their little riddle. With great surprise to Jareth, she solved the riddle quicker than he could have imagined. She grinned triumphantly and pushed past the Blue brothers, confidence in her gait.

"I think I'm getting smarter!" She laughed, "It's a piece of cake!"

As she ended her sentence she fell through the floor, falling down into a pit of Helping Hands._ Right on cue!_ Jareth smiled to himself. While they asked her where she'd like to go, up or down, Jareth let his mind roam. If everything went according to plan, which it would, Sarah would never complete his Labyrinth—but she was father than he thought she'd be. Still, he applauded the intellect he wasn't fully aware she possessed until now. As far as he knew, no one had ever solved the Four Guards' riddle. Not only was she smart, but she was resolute.

With mixed admiration and discontent, he spoke aloud to his minions as if it would give comfort: "She's in the Oubliette."

The goblins around him cackled unpleasantly and loudly.

"Shut up!" Jareth yelled. "She should not have gotten as far as the Oubliette, she should have given up by now..."

"She'll never give up!" A goblin shrieked.

"Won't she?" Jareth replied to it, calmly enough to surprise himself. "The dwarf's about to lead her back to the beginning, she'll soon give up when she realizes she has to start all over again."

He began to chuckle in reassurance until he noticed his cohorts were not following him. "Well? _Laugh_." he said strictly.

And they did, quite menacingly so. He joined them in their raucous laughter, throwing up his crystal ball, watching it as it glistened in the light.

_I have nothing to worry about. _He encouraged himself.

* * *

><p>Down in the Oubliette, Jareth watched Sarah talk with the dwarf. Hogwash seemed to be doing as he was told, but Jareth could not remove any doubt left from the promise of the dwarf. Dwarves were not the types to keep their word, and they were easily swayed in the heat of the moment. In his bed room, shut away with little Toby, Jareth sat angled on the edge of his massive bed. The dark purple sheets were fashioned of fine cottons and silks; a remnant from his days in Esitrea. Toby sat upon the bed, shaking a small rattle made from the bones of goblins that had gotten on Jareth's nerves.<p>

He talked to the child, as it seemed to sooth him. "What to do, Toby, what to do."

The light through the one window in the chamber illuminated the whole room, granting his room an atmosphere of mystery instead of the usual one of dread. Jareth watched the horizon that seemed to stretch on to forever. There was no sun, but there was light. Where did it come from? Jareth always wondered. He couldn't control light, but he could control time; with the flick of his finger he could slow it down or speed it up. Time was nothing to him—but the light he knew nothing about. Did the Underground have a sun, like Sarah's human world? Why did his alterations of time never change the amount of daylight?

Jareth quickly tired himself searching his mind for the answers he wouldn't find, and looked back to his crystal. Sarah was holding out an item of jewelry to Gitwit, and Jareth could see the willpower dying in the dwarf's ugly little face.

"Damn you, Hodkin!" Jareth bellowed throughout his chambers, startling Toby.

Almost instantly there was a rapping on the door, and two goblins opened it a crack. "Your majesty?" They whimpered. "Do you need our assistance?"

"Watch the child." Jareth growled, the fever in his ears growing hotter. "I have to go deal with a disobedient dwarf."

Out the window Jareth jumped, swiftly and with the utmost ease. He swung his cape over his arms and they were soon the wings of a barn owl. He was lighter now, and gliding through the dreary, humid sky. The walls of the Labyrinth stretched far across the outskirts of his city, and Jareth dove his small body down into an opening to the Oubliette. He flattened his wings wide and halted his speed instantaneously, transforming back into his human form as he did so. He whipped out his crystal ball, determining Sarah's position. She wasn't far, just beyond the Hall of Half-Hearted Warnings.

Jareth waved his hand and a ready-made costume appeared. He covered his face with the mask of an old crow, and wore the clothes of an beggar's. From thin air he brought fourth a bucket with which to panhandle. He then took hold of his crystal ball and rolled it across the ground, invisible to Sarah and Pignit's eyes as it first rolled past them down the Hall of Half-Hearted Warnings. He crouched down and leaned against a damp wall, waiting for the duo to catch a glimpse of the ball as it rolled back to him like a boomerang.

Before long, the two entered Cleaner's Lane, where Jareth currently waited. He saw them approach as his crystal hopped back into the bucket that he held in his hands.

"Ah, what have we here?" Jareth said in a twisted tongue that was not his own.

The dwarf had his suspicions about him already. "Oh, uh, nothing." he stuttered.

Jareth could not contain his fury. "Nothing? _Nothing_? Nothing! Nothing, tra-la-la?" He stood to full glory and revealed himself. His was wearing one of his favourite blazers, encrusted with diamonds around the neckline—and it shone magnificently in the gloom. His legs were sleek and slender, and he stood tall and enraged. He shook his old costume as if he were shaking out the truth.

"Your majesty, what a nice surprise!" the dwarf stammered.

"Hello, Headwort." Jareth smiled viciously.

"Hogwart," Sarah corrected him.

"_Hoggle_!" Hoggle corrected her.

"Hoggle," Jareth said, glancing at Sarah for a moment, "Can it be that you're helping this girl?"

"H-h-helping? In what sense?"

"In the sense that you're leading her towards the castle."

"No, no!" the dwarf pleaded. "I was taking her back to the beginning, your Majesty."

Jareth returned his eyes to Sarah, only to see her expression at discovering she had been conned.

"_What_?" She cried in disbelief.

"I told her I was going to help her solve the Labyrinth."

Jareth put a hand to his ear as the dwarf spoke, as if to pretend he was hard of hearing.

"A little trickery on my part, but actually—"

"What _is_ that plastic thing around your wrist?" Jareth said, interrupting the dwarf's excuse. It was the same bracelet he'd seen Sarah dangling in front of the dwarf's eyes only minutes before.

"Oh," the dwarf was taken aback, and hid his hand without thinking. He pulled it back out again to pretend that he had nothing to hide. "Oh, this?" He mustered a nervous laugh. "Oh, my goodness, where did this come from?"

"Piggle—"

"Hoggle," Hoggle corrected.

"Yes," Jareth proceeded with exasperation, "If I thought for one second you would betray me, I'd be forced to suspend you head-first into the Bog of Eternal Stench."

"No! Your Majesty! Not the Eternal Stench!" The dwarf begged, taking hold of his leg.

"Oh_ yes_, Hoggle!" Jareth replied fiercely, removing the creature from his leg.

Shortly after dismissing the dwarf, Jareth remembered about Sarah and advanced towards her without delay. "And you, Sarah," he almost whispered, in a craving tone he could not help. He placed an arm against the wall next to where she stood, leaning in to her small frame. He wanted to be closer, and had to restrain himself from reaching out and taking hold. "How are you enjoying my Labyrinth?"

She looked him straight in the eye, wide-eyed and red-lipped. Her pale softness glowed like a firefly in the night.

She looked down as she lied. "It's a piece of cake." she scoffed.

The dwarf groaned in the background.

"Really?" Jareth smiled, removing himself from her. "Then how about upping the stakes, hmm?"

He lifted his arm and brought forth a clock. He pointed to its golden rim and stark-black hands. The hands began to swirl forward in time, following the swirling index finger that commanded them.

"That's not fair!" Sarah protested feebly.

"You say that so often," Jareth felt irritation at her words, and leaned in towards her in a manner of intimidation. He pulled himself away from her just as quickly, in fear of losing his composure. "I wonder what your basis for comparison is."

"So the Labyrinth is a piece of cake, is it?" He went up against a backdrop of emptiness. "Well, let's see how you deal with this little slice."

Gracefully he pulled forth his crystal ball between his fingertips. He gave one last glance towards Sarah before throwing the crystal into the abyssal darkness behind him. Jareth faded into the shadows as the light from the orb brought forth the metallic shine of the Cleaner, clanking loudly and mechanically as it advanced.

"Oh no, the _Cleaners_!" Tidwit cried.

"_What_?" Sarah shrieked.

"_Run_!"

Jareth watched them flee in panic. He hid in the shadows and crevaces of the walls, as he often did in Sarah's world, and laughed at their terror. He followed close behind them in pursuit.

_That's what you get._ Jareth thought.

Sarah grabbed hold of the dwarf's hand absentmindedly as they ran. Jareth could not help but notice, and grit his teeth in anger. She would hold that slimy hand over his own? In his rage he sent out a small gust of wind, strong enough to push the little dwarf off of his feet. He fell hard to the floor, and Jareth delighted in the invisible torment.

They continued to run until they hit a barred dead end. The dwarf cursed her as they banged on the surrounding walls, looking for a weakness or a way out. Jareth observed Sarah with resentment.

_I do everything for her._ He thought. _I just want to rule her, to make her mine. Why can't she understand that?_

The dread in her eyes ached his heart. With a guilty conscience and a sigh, he released the wall they banged on from its hold in the surrounding bricks. It fell to the floor, with Sarah and the dwarf falling on top of it.

Jareth could not understand what he was feeling. For all the years that he had watched Sarah in her world, all he ever felt was a longing to touch her skin and to hold her small frame in his arms. He was sure that one day he'd have exactly that, because whatever he wanted he eventually got. But she resisted him with everything she had, and his patience was running out. He loved her, but she did not love him.

_You make me feel this way, Sarah. _Jareth scowled in his mind, yearning for her all the while. _You are the poison and the antidote to this illness._

* * *

><p><em>AN: It was reeeeeally hard to avoid innuendos at certain parts. "He stood to full glory and revealed himself" is completely innocent, I swear._

_.. ;)_


	4. Losing Your Head

_Losing Your Head _

Jareth exited the Oubliette, escaping through the shadows creeping through every crack in the wall. He emerged into the clouded sunlight, bright enough to sting his eyes for a just a moment before they readjusted themselves. He swirled his right arm over his chest in one swift action, lifting his body up and becoming a barn owl once more. He rose up high over the Labyrinth, his strong wings beating at his side.

Living in the Underground, Jareth was not accustomed to feeling anything, and so to feel so much within such a short time he was appropriately exhausted. He had forgotten the titles of his emotions; they remained anonymous demons that plagued his mind, his actions, and his heart. He recognized frustration, anger, and spite, but there was a longing, an emptiness—and an even greater desire to fill it. Something else, too, hidden amongst the anguish. It couldn't possibly be_ hope_, could it? Jareth seethed. What a horribly weak, human thing. Hope? He needed none. Everything he wanted he got; there was no need to _hope_ that he would obtain it. But that was it, wasn't it. Sarah turned his world upside down, as _he_ was the one most altered by her presence.

Jareth's self-loathing nearly boiled over by the time he had flown back to his castle. He landed on his bedroom windowsill, his claws morphing into fine leather boots as he felt the marble tiling below. A goblin stood watch near Toby, who was preoccupied with an old book and was flipping its rusted pages.

"Y-your majesty," the goblin muttered.

"What?" Jareth snapped, eager for any opportunity to take out his anger on his minions.

"The-I've—"

"C'mon, spit it out!"

"I've heard word that Sarah's met The Wise Man with the Bird Hat,"

"Ha!" Jareth scoffed. That was a title he hadn't heard in quite a while.

Jareth stalked back to the window after scooping up Toby into his long arms. He juggled the toddler for a minute as he reminisced back to a time so long ago he had been on the verge of forgetting it completely. _The Wise Man with the Bird Hat_: that wasn't always his name. He was a fellow entertainer like himself, though his magic was one of the tongue: A storyteller, a raconteur—an illusionist for the mind, not the senses.

Memories long locked away were crawling their way back to the light of existence. Jareth recalled the day that he, along with The Wise Man with the Bird Hat, was cast out of the land of sky-born perfection. He felt his jaw harden with hate, and then release with the futility of nursing an enmity so ancient. They were both in the Underground now, but at least he still had his magic. And he had gotten his revenge, oh yes. The Wise Man had a lifetime to wander throughout his Labyrinth, forever seeking an exit. But a thought momentarily arose: What if he wasn't looking for the exit anymore? The Wise Man was crafty; did he have something up his sleeve?

"Send someone out!" Jareth bellowed as soon as the thought entered his mind, and Toby began to weep in his arms. "Send someone out. Stop her from going any further!"

Hurriedly Jareth conjured forth his bauble, seeking out Sarah in his Labyrinth. He'd missed it—Sarah and Hidgewort had only just parted ways with the old man, and were now continuing down a section of his Labyrinth comprised of hedged walls and sandy paths. He saw one of his goblins turn the wrong direction, avoiding Sarah completely.

"Damn useless fools!"

I'll have to do this myself, Jareth thought, setting his jaw. He placed Toby into the arms of an unwilling goblin, and paced towards the windowsill. How could he stall for time?

He saw in his crystal that Wortworth was chatting with Sarah. He just barely heard the word "friend" leave the mouth of the ugly little creature, before a menacing roar startled the dwarf and sent him away.

"Friend," Jareth echoed, and the cogs in his brain began running.

_Sarah trusts him._ Jareth thought. _And I can use that._

Quickly Jareth devised a plan. He would corner the dwarf, and use her trust for him against her. He looked to the clock on the wall. Eight-forty it read. Just over four hours left until 13 o'clock: midnight. Sarah's thirteen hours would be up.

_This is the best time to use it!_ Jareth thought. _It_ was a spell he had learned in Esitrea, from an old book of fairytales. How would he do it? Jareth paced for a minute, before it came to him: Surely Sarah was ravished by now, and he knew her favourite fruit. Peaches! All he needed to do was lure her in, and then wait until it was twilight when the spell would take effect. He had no control over the sunrise and sunset, but looking out his window he knew it would be soon. He had time to relax for just a minute.

Jareth sat himself on his throne. "You there. Shine my boots," he ordered to a nearby goblin. They'd gotten dusty in the Oubliette. "Give him to me," he ordered another goblin holding Toby.

He lifted a leg and cradled the boy on his lap. Around him his minions were busying themselves with meager forms of entertainment, and Jareth's mind began to wander. Once more he found his reminiscing was directed towards Esitrea. This time it was about the Emperor, the stupid and bulky fool who sat old and lonely over his near-perfect dominion. Jareth felt himself cringe, thinking of how he had failed to take over that position. How had his plan failed? It seemed flawless. Under his rule, Esitrea would truly have become perfect.

Jareth shook the thoughts from his mind. They wouldn't do him any good now, and he wanted this rare good mood to last. Another look to the clock showed eight-fifty four.

"Hungry, Toby?" Jareth asked the boy. No answer came, but Jareth popped a sweet into the toddler's mouth just the same. Toby let out a satisfied belch.

"Oh, he's a lively little chap. I think I'll call him Jareth." Jareth smirked. "He's got my eyes."

His minions chuckled alongside him.

* * *

><p>One more look to the clock read nine-fifteen.<p>

"As good a time as any," he said aloud.

Jareth pulled out his bauble to see exactly where Hodnoggin was headed. He was wandering through the maze, of course; a rocky, dusty path. _As good a place as any_, Jareth thought.

He chuckled to himself, high with the anticipation of his plan's outcome. He set off from his tower and was at the dwarf's location in less than a minute. Like he had in the Oubliette, he plotted his landing for an area the dwarf would soon enter. After he touched down, Jareth pulled himself into the shadowed crevices of a nearby rock, timing himself perfectly for when the dwarf would round the corner. Soon enough, his patience was rewarded as the unpleasant thing hobbled by. Just as the dwarf passed him, a cry rang through the air:

"Hoggle! Help!"

It was Sarah.

"I'm comin', Sarah!" the dwarf responded immediately, turning on his heels.

But it was too late. Jareth was quicker and had him cornered. "Well! If it isn't you!" Jareth curled his lips, baring a wicked smile. "And, uh, where are you going?"

"Uh-Uh—Well, the little lady gave me the slip, but uh—" Sarah's calls were still off in the distance, becoming increasingly more desperate. "I just hear them now. So uh, I was about to lead her back to the beginning…like you told me."

_What terrible liars dwarves are. _Jareth concluded.

"I see," Jareth stood and paced around the dwarf, to intimidate him. "For one moment I thought you were running to help her. But, uh, no—not after my warnings, that _would_ be stupid."

"Oh, you bet it would! _Me_? Help _her_? After your warnings?" The dwarf began to cackle nervously, until he turned and met face-to-face with Jareth who had snuck up on him.

"Oh, dear," Jareth cooed, mimicking concern. "Poor Hoghead!"

"Hoggle," the dwarf murmured as an interjection.

"I just noticed your lovely jewels are missing." Jareth pulled him closer.

"Uh—oh, yes! So they are. My lovely jewels. Lemme think… uh, uh, I gotta find them." Sarah's cries continued. "But first! I'm off to take the little lady back to the beginning of the Labyrinth. Just like we planned."

The dwarf had turned to leave, but Jareth stopped him. "Wait!" he commanded. "I've got a much better plan, Hoggle."

Jareth pulled from his sleeve a replica of his crystal ball, and spun it around his fingers for show. "Give her this." He tossed the ball and as it fell downwards it morphed into a plump peach and landed in the ugly, wart-covered hand of the dwarf.

"Whu-what is it?" the dwarf stammered.

"It's a present."

"It…ain't gonna hurt the little lady, is it?"

A flicker of fury burned in Jareth's chest. "Oh, now why the concern?"

"Uh, I won't do nothin' to harm 'er." the dwarf looked down shamefully.

"Oh, come come come, Hogbrain!" The flame in Jareth's chest grew. "I'm surprised at you. Losing your head over a _girl_."

"I ain't lost my head." He denied.

"You don't think a young girl could ever like a repulsive, little scab like you, do you?" Jareth thrust his staff accusingly into the portly little body of the dwarf.

_How could she like something disgusting like you,_ Jareth thought, _when she has someone like me?_

"Well, she said we was…"

"What, companions?" Jareth scoffed. "_Friends_?"

Hoggle sighed. "It don't matter."

Jareth lost his patience. He grabbed the thing's ear. "You'll give her that, Hoggle, or I'll tip you straight into the Bog of Eternal Stench before you can blink!"

"Right," the dwarf sauntered off meekly after he'd been released.

One last repugnant thought entered Jareth's head as he himself went to leave. What if she _did _like that revolting creature more than she liked him—_the Goblin King_?

Jareth seethed. "And Hoggle—" The dwarf turned. "If she ever kisses you, I'll turn you into a prince."

"Y-you will?" Hoggle stammered hopefully.

Jareth raised his arms mockingly. "Prince of the Land of Stench!" He exited the scene roaring with laughter.

It was all set now; Jareth's plan was about to commence. As soon as he'd finished his chat with the dwarf, he was in the air again, white wings glowing in the dimming light. He reached his castle swiftly, and sought to finish preparations for his spell. He didn't have much left to do—but wait.

* * *

><p>AN:

I know I haven't been around a while, but I hope any fans (as little as that may be) of this small story are still around. I do plan to finish-eventually!


	5. Fine Fellow

_Fine Fellow_

Jareth was having a fine time in his tower, finding great entertainment from the bauble that gave him access to Sarah. He lay sideways on his bed, letting the dying sun glisten on his ball. Initially concerned by her cries that both he and Hobble had heard, he conjured forth her image to find that it was only the Fire Gang that tormented her. They were a nearly-harmless bunch of fire demons, but they knew not to betray his orders—no harm was to come to Sarah in his Labyrinth. What kind of harm he hadn't specified, but as they chased her through a section of forest he couldn't help but laugh. A scared, frightened Sarah was a treat, and he couldn't pass it up.

Sooner than Jareth had wanted, however, his mirth was swallowed up by rage. Hodgepot had come to her rescue, and no sooner had he helped her to safety that he saw—_No!_ Sarah had leaned in to the dwarf, and despite his attempts to dissuade her she had kissed him appreciatively on the cheek.

"Fall, damn you! _Fall_!" He thundered throughout the castle, loud enough to rattle the bricks holding up the walls.

He saw the stone below their feet fall at his command, shooting them towards the Bog of Eternal Stench. Livid, Jareth stood up and threw the crystal ball onto his bed, attempting to remove himself from the event.

"She kissed him!" He shouted, to no one in particular. "She kissed _him_! That knobbly, warty, greasy, good-for-nothing meatsack!"

Noticing that most of his goblins had run away (fearing punishment), Jareth paced furiously in his room.

"She has me," he said to himself. "She has _me_. How could she think to kiss—that _thing_—when she has _me_!"

Jareth looked up to see his reflection in his full-body mirror. Slim, elegant, handsome: these were but some of the few compliments he'd received in Esitrea. He hadn't aged, not physically, since that time. The women there fancied him well enough, and he recalled that not a day had passed then that he didn't receive an invitation to a formal ball or dinner from a high-class lady.

"I don't understand," he muttered. Then he stopped himself, recognizing something. Something weak and human-like: emotion. He knew he had emotion (anger being the most prominent), but he recognized these particular emotions as Envy and Humiliation. The foremost was even more humiliating than knowing he felt Humiliation.

He—The Goblin King—was envious of a dwarf. A fat, foul-smelling, pea-brained dwarf. And he wasn't happy about it. Feeling rage up to his ears, Jareth called for Toby.

"Y-your majesty," A goblin entered through his bedroom doorway, presenting Toby to him.

"Get out," Jareth spat, kicking the goblin for fun. He felt the need to inflict pain.

Toby calmed him, remarkably. He knew that he was just a stupid child now, but he could grow to be great—and he could follow in Jareth's fine footprints.

"If only Sarah would allow that," Jareth caught himself. "No, that's exactly how things will be. Sarah will be mine, Toby. You and your sister will love it here."

Jareth smiled wickedly to the baby, who seemed not to notice. Curious now and slightly more calm, Jareth picked up his bauble and peered through its misty image.

Surprisingly, they hadn't fallen into the Bog of Eternal Stench. He didn't know how, but he didn't much care, either. Though Jareth could easily whip up a spell to rid Sarah of the stench, he'd have preferred not to. The dwarf, on the other hand, would surely be drowned in the bog by the time the ordeal with Sarah was all over. Jareth was true to his word.

Looking closer, he saw two other figures with them. He recognized one as Sir Didymus, a knight-fox. He let a foul smile creep onto his lips.

"Another fool under my control."Jareth laughed to Toby, who was tugging at his long blond hair. "I don't even think he'd remember why I told him to guard there. Not that it matters, it was just something to keep him busy and out of my way…" Jareth saw as Sir Didymus led the way across the bridge.

"Would've been helpful if he had actually guarded it." He muttered bitterly.

The fourth figure was a large, hairy, horned demon. Wracking his brain, Jareth couldn't remember the slightest thing about the creature.

"Must've been in the Underground even before I came," he said aloud to Toby.

Then something caught Jareth's eye. The dwarf was nearing the edge of the bog, cradling something in his oversized hand. Realizing the dwarf's intent, Jareth took his crystal ball and whispered into it, ominously: "_I wouldn't do that if I were you…_" he warned.

Tiddle had obviously heard him, as he whimpered in reply: "Oh, please… I can't give it to her…"

Jareth didn't need to warn him a second time. The dwarf, stupid as he was, knew that Jareth wasn't kidding around.

A short while passed, and through the crystal ball Jareth watched the group traversed through the forest. He knew that the time for his plot to unfold was drawing near, as Sarah would be famished by now.

Now in his throne room, surrounded by his minions, Jareth held Toby close to the bauble. Jareth's blue and brown eyes gleamed in the twilight as he spoke softly to the child, but also to Sarah:

"Look Sarah, is this what you're trying to find?"

Toby clapped his hands pointlessly.

"So much trouble over such a little thing—but not for long. She'll soon forget all about you, my fine fellow. Just as soon as Hoggle gives her my present. Then she'll forget _everything_." He bounced the baby affectionately on his lap.

Memories weren't important. What was important was that Jareth would finally have hold of Sarah, and he knew he wouldn't have to wait very long.

* * *

><p><em>AN:_

_A shorter chapter… but you all know what's coming next!_


	6. The World Falls Down

_The World Falls Down_

It all happened sooner than Jareth had hoped. He watched hungrily as the dwarf hobbled behind the group, strengthening his nerve to give Sarah the peach. The group all complained of empty stomachs, and the timing could not be more perfect. The sunlight was continuing to fade on the horizon, and the forest slowly closed in on them as it did every night. Twilight was upon the Underground.

Finally the dwarf spoke: "Sarah…"

"Yeah?" she replied.

_Yes!_ Jareth shouted in his mind_. Yes, Hobble, give her the peach!_

"Uh…here."

"Oh, Hoggle!" She took the peach from his hand, appreciation filling her eyes. "Thank you! You're a life saver!"

Sarah ogled the fruit in her hand, only to savour it for just a moment longer. Then she took a large, juicy bite out of the peach. Hoggle looked away ashamedly, and Jareth, from far away in his tower, let out a huge cry of delight.

Realizing almost instantly something was wrong, Sarah stopped. "This tastes strange…"

"Oh…" Hoggle began to back away, his face contorted by guilt.

Sarah began to feel dizzy, and already she swayed on the spot. "Hoggle, what have you done…?"

"Damn you, Jareth… and damn me, too…" Hoggle fled.

Jareth was still way up in his high tower, but now he sat on his windowsill, sending out his myriad crystal balls like bubbles. The spell that the peach held within it kept Sarah in a state that would meld her mind and the mind of the spell's conjuror. In this state she was highly hallucinogenic, and he, the conjuror, had control of what she could and couldn't see.

Jareth had created a world—a small world—that meshed his and Sarah's ideas, dreams and thoughts. Though Sarah was far from him physically, they were connected through the crystal balls, and they had ensnared her within Jareth's world. Here, he would capture her at last.

The world was a dizzying and a contorted misty-white, that was not unlike the gleam of a bubble. Devious figures (no doubt a design from Jareth's mind and from his memories of Esitrea) danced dreamily between Jareth and Sarah, laughing and singing as they went.

From across the world, Jareth's eyes grasped hold of Sarah, who, trancelike, glided across the marble floor in a large, white dress. The dress she wore was a creation of Sarah's mind, and Jareth was thankful for it. He could not have imagined a dress more fitting. It hung low below the crevice of her collarbone, and showed the alluring curves of her slender, elegant neck. The sleeves of her dress as well as at her hips were puffed up like cotton, contrasting her small, delicate shape. Almost giddy with the way things were going, he could not help himself but to sing. The words came without thought and without delay:

"_As such a sad love, deep in your eyes, a kind of pale jewel…_"

Jareth removed his mask, and Sarah met his eyes, entranced by both him and the masquerade. Her red lips were parted as if she were constantly on the verge of asking a question. Her brown eyes were opened wide with hope and curiosity. They hid nothing. Jareth met her gaze, but it was his turn to seduce her. He pulled himself into the shadows of other dancers, taunting her playfully.

"_Opened and closed within your eyes, I'll place the sky within your eyes…_"

Sarah followed after him. It was obvious that Sarah's memories had been erased, another useful side effect of the spell. She was a clean slate—oblivious to all that Jareth had done and would do. Jareth felt himself captivated by the world as he followed behind her longingly. All he wanted was Sarah.

"_A love that will last within your heart, I'll place the moon within your heart…_"

Sarah appeared to grow more and more apprehensive, and she darted, in fey-like fashion, between the figures. Jareth could see that her eyes were not unlike his own; they hungered for something, someone. Jareth slid away, smiling to himself. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.

"_As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you… every thrill has gone, wasn't too much fun at all…_"

Jareth followed behind her, not unlike how a predator stalks its prey.

"_But I'll be there for you... as the world falls down…_"

Increasingly frantic, Sarah pushed her way past the floating masqueraders. Her hair was thick and curled, and knotted with silver ribbons that dangled down her back; they weaved gracefully with her head as she sought for Jareth.

"_Falling in love…_"

She swirled in circles, cornered by dancers. Then, freed, she continued onward in pursuit of the masked man.

"_I'll paint you mornings of gold, I'll spin you valentine evenings…_"

A quick look to the clock told Jareth that he'd had his fun. He had to seal the spell—or there was a chance she could break it. At this point, though, Jareth wasn't worried.

"_I'll leave my love between the stars…_"

He freed himself from the shadows, and Sarah stared awestruck at his grandeur. His jacket was speckled with stardust, and his eyes were as dark as night. He took her hand, which she gave willingly. They locked eyes and didn't let go.

"_As the pain sweeps through, makes no sense for you…_"

Her figure was smaller and more fragile than Jareth had imagined it to be; despite all the times he had craved it in his mind. Still, Jareth noticed, there was an innate strength to her, not just within her eyes. He whirled her around himself, dancing to the sound of his own song, and he held her body close.

"_Every thrill has gone, wasn't too much fun at all…_"

Jareth's fingertips quivered just above Sarah's fine satin dress. Too often he'd imagined the moment where he was allowed to touch her, as she had now so willingly letting him do. He felt triumphant and overjoyed, but nervous and—could it be—_afraid_?

_Afraid of what? _Jareth heard himself think. _Losing her? Losing _this_?_

He felt his shoulders shudder, but kept his face stern. She could never know that she had this kind of power over him.

They twirled, bodies together, gliding on the dance floor. "_But I'll be there for you, as the world falls down…_" he sang to her, their eyes fastened to one another.

Fixated too much on his thoughts and enchanted by Sarah's beauty, Jareth failed to notice her increasing wariness.

"_Falling in love…_"

Sarah gasped and as they spun, her eyes went wild with realization.

"_Falling…_"

The clock tolled twelve. Jareth was too late—he'd meant to kiss her to seal the spell, but she struggled wildly from Jareth's hold and in his nonplussed state he did nothing but watch her flee without a second look back. Jareth's heart went cold and icy, like the spirit within him had been whisked away.

_She doesn't love me._ Jareth heard a voice in his head say. _She doesn't want me_.

His power waned, Sarah needed only to take hold of a table chair and throw it at the glassy walls. They shattered—along with the world Jareth had created inside it.

* * *

><p><em>AN: I really feel like this is my most symbolic chapter, and of course, I wanted it to be. I wanted it to be symbolic not only of the film and what Jim Henson created, but of my own character inventions that _I _created. I hope that they are both appreciated here._

_P.S. Poor Jareth…_


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